5 Tips For Choosing A Weed Eater
Weed eating is a necessity if you want your home to look sharp and appealing. Nobody likes to look at their house with overgrown weeds and shrubs. This is why it’s essential to own a weed eater if you are going to keep your lawn aesthetically appealing to yourself and anyone who drives past it. Unfortunately, there is more to choosing one than you might think and there are quite a few factors you need to take into consideration before making your decision.
Consider The Size Of Your Yard
The size of your yard has a lot to do with the equipment you’ll need. If you have a small yard, an electric weed eater is a good option. These are environmentally friendly and require a plug in order to operate. This means that you either need to be near an outlet at all times or carry around an extension cord with you. So, if you have a smaller yard, you may not have an issue doing it.
You could also go for a battery powered weed eater if you don’t want to carry the cord around. These are best for small yards, but they may run out of power rather quickly if you try to use it for an extended period of time.
If you have a larger yard, an electric weed eater isn’t going to be a good option, unless you enjoy lugging around a giant extension cord. Gas powered weed eaters don’t require cords or outlets. They are run off of gas or a gas/oil mixture and can be carried around with you no matter where you go in your yard.
Consider The Types Of Weeds
If you live around an area that has a lot of overgrowth, you’ll want to invest in a powerful weed eater. Commercial-grade line weed eaters are ideal for the tougher weeds such as overgrown brush, thick weeds, and large gardens. Standard grade-lined trimmers aren’t going to do the job for thicker weeds. If you are only going to be trimming around a small garden or walkways, a smaller, electric weed eater would be sufficient enough. You won’t need a ton of horsepower, not like the kind you would get from a gas powered one.
Check Out The Features
If you aren’t one to settle for simple, then the features of your weed eater are everything. These machines have more to them than just strings and a motor depending on the model of your choosing. Some trimmers come with an edger type accessory that allows you to clean the edges of a sidewalk or driveway with precision. Some come with a guard to help protect your valuable plants and vegetables while you’re trimming around them, and some gas models come with a see through gas tank so that you know how much gas is in it at all times. For some gas models, you can also get a deflector that shoots the exhaust being you. The one thing you need to remember, however, is that usually the more features that come with your weed eater, the more expensive it’ll be.
Test It Out
One of the most important things that you can do before buying your weed eater is to test it out. You won’t actually be able to turn it on and weed eat with it, but you can pick it up and get a feel for it. Gas models are going to be heavier than electric ones because of the motor. You should move it around as if you were using it to get a feel for the weight and balance. You should also test out the controls of each model to see whether or not you like to placement or if it’s something that you can easily handle.
Examine The Area
Before picking a weed eater, you should examine the area that you want to trim down. If you are going to be going around gardens or similar areas, you’ll want a curved shaft to better maneuver around. If you are going to be going under fences and bushes, you’ll want to use a straight shaft. The shape of the shaft can make your job much easier, instead of trying to trim around structures with the wrong one.
Conclusion
Choosing a weed eater can be hard for some, especially if they don’t know what they’re looking for. One other thing that you need to consider is the budget you are working with. Don’t expect a top of the line machine on a budget of a few dollars. The more features it has, the more it’s going to cost. If you go searching in store or online for the first time, follow the handy tips above, or as many as you can, and your hunt for the ideal string trimmer can be much easier.